Speaker of the SNYA and Positive Youth Award winner Shamira Basset shares her story |22 February 2018
‘I want to see a better Seychelles’
Shamira Basset is 22 years old and currently working at Anse Etoile creche as a qualified early childhood teacher. Prior to this, she studied at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education where she was successful in gaining a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. She is a strong advocate for empowering young people and has been involved in many youth activities since she attended secondary school which is when her interest and passion in this area developed.
Shamira was among the five finalists at last year’s Positive Youth Award ceremony held by the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) which aims to award young people in districts and schools for their positive contribution and active participation in their communities.
“I was awarded two; one for the district category and one for being the most engaged youth in my community. Being one of the five finalists was a shock for me as there were other youth that were as engaged as I was. That day I got to really feel the saying that hard work pays,” says Shamira.
Her awards were the culmination of being a voice in different youth forums and listening to the youth who she says are inspired and influenced to follow in the steps before them. Shamira feels however that winning the two trophies was not only because of her effort alone but also the work of her past teachers and community. She admits that without them, this would not have been possible.
As the current Speaker of the 14th cohort of the Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA), Shamira’s role is to ensure that sittings are being done and that motions presented receive appropriate responses. Her other role as a member of the SNYA is to engage in debates on issues affecting the youth.
The SNYA is an educational programme held by SNYC that provides the necessary tools to develop one’s skills for everyday situations such as critical thinking and coping with various life issues. Shamira explains that she joined the SNYA because she wanted to help ensure that the voice of our youth is heard and to make a positive contribution and impact, which she says brings joy to her heart.
Shamira strongly believes that the voice of our youth has been neglected many times and that many youth have lost hope in speaking up about issues that are affecting them.
“I feel like when we put our ideas out there, it gets stolen and we never get credit for those ideas. But today, we can see a lot of us young people being more confident at being decision-makers and this is influencing others to do the same. The time of leaving us behind in a corner is fading and we are seeing more of us in the places we never thought we could be,” she says.
When asked why she dedicates time to youth groups and activities, Shamira reveals that she enjoys giving her time to young people. She feels that there are many issues and social ills affecting our youth today and is determined to be part of the efforts to find solutions by tackling the roots of these problems. She commonly reminds everyone at youth forums that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.
One of the biggest challenges that Shamira faces during her participation in youth work is encouraging other youth to take an interest in helping other young people as well as getting them to be more engaged in making decisions about topics that concern them.
It is her hope to one day make a bigger, positive impact on not only the youth but everyone in Seychelles. Her vision is to see a better Seychelles with lots of critical thinkers. Shamira’s message for all the young people in Seychelles is that “It is never too late to make a difference. Be strong with your chin high and be the positive impact that Seychelles needs”.
